’Twas the Season of love and we would love to dive in to our latest report with you.
Hotfix Rollout
We released a few Hotfixes this month. The first added extra client support for system updates, though more importantly, it added performance telemetry tracking for FPS and frame hitches to aid our teams' investigations.
The second Hotfix addressed an issue that affected some players' access to their Offline Saves. The third and fourth Hotfixes addressed various issues related to the In-Game Chat, affecting access to Characters and some players being able to block themselves. As well as an issue where True Offline players could not return to the Character Select Screen from within the game.
Eyes on Eterra
A New Threat Looms…
A summons went out across Eterra, with the promise of new treasures and opportunities to become stronger to entice our travelers.
The strange happenings our team has been reporting on have finally revealed themselves and you can hear the call of the The Weaver here, Season 2 Launch Trailer: Tombs of the Erased, though it is for you to decide if you will answer.
By the way, you may have seen some Dev Tool Shenanigans in the Trailer in the form of Blessings in the player Inventory UI. This is not something players should expect to see in-game themselves as we will never let Gregory the Intern have access to the game code again.
Walk, walk, fashion, Gregory….
As Seasons change, Fashion cycles. As we approach Season 2 and the new Tombs of the Erased update, we wanted to keep you informed of the latest upcoming and outgoing ways to show your support for Eterra and Last Epoch.
While we are excited to show you more of the new MTX we have already teased on Mike’s Streams, which will be coming with Tombs of the Erased on April 2nd, the following Supporter packs will be leaving our shop on April 18th;
http://store.steampowered.com/app/2303580/Last_Epoch__Eternal_Traveler_Supporter_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303581/Last_Epoch__Eternal_Templar_Supporter_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303582/Last_Epoch__Eternal_Vanquisher_Supporter_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303583/Last_Epoch__Eternal_Legend_Supporter_Pack/
All of our Supporter Packs will exist together in the shop for a short period of time, this means the existing Deluxe and Ultimate Editions as well as the Abyssal Supporter Packs will remain available after April 19th.
Also, please note that items from the Eternal Supporter Packs will not be added to the in-game shop as individual items once these packs rotate out, so be sure to snag your favorite before it's gone.
Bringing Down the Hive
Another month, another round of old bugs that we can confirm will be put out to pasture in Season 2.
- Rogue Passive Tree [list]
- Coated Blades now only applies to directly used abilities
- Warrior's Fury now only applies to direct uses of Warpath
- Fixed a bug where Crippling Anguish had no effect when Signet of Agony is also allocated
- Fixed a bug where Ice Bringer was summoning Ancestral Sabertooths instead of casting Ice Vortex, and those Ancestral Sabertooths did not receive appropriate stats when summoned, making them considerably weaker than intended
- Added a new node, Ancestral Hunter, which requires 2 points in Frost Fang. Your Sabertooth's hits have a 4% chance per point to summon an Ancestral Sabertooth that attacks nearby enemies for a short duration. Maximum of 1 point.
- Added a new node, Ancient Bond, which requires 1 point in Ancestral Hunter. Your Sabertooth's hits have an additional 4% chance per point to summon Ancestral Sabertooths, and they deal 20% more damage per point. Maximum of 3 points.
- Fixed a bug causing some movement abilities to not adjust the character to the terrain.
- Fixed a bug where some portals in Deep Harbor would appear in an inaccessible place
- Target dummies, such as those available at Champions' Gate, no longer have damage variance when hit.
Mike’s Twitch Teasers
After a long break, catching Mike's Streams to catch up with Mike's Stream Teasers isn’t always the easiest, so we’ve compiled them all here in one place for you!
02-14-25
After a few weeks away to move house, Mike reminded us all that he DID love us by bringing us gifts for Valentine's Day!
Sentinel’s can look forward to a shiny new Phalanx Spear and builds that benefit from builds that didn’t benefit from automatically drinking floor potions should find a much needed reprieve in the Settings! We also got a peek at some of the upgrades that have been happening to the Monolith of Fate islands, though the workers did say they noticed a lot of spiders around lately, and items showing up covered in webs and old cloth strips….
We also got a look at some new adornments provided by The Weaver, those that walk Her web are never far from it.
02-21-25
Another week, another Stream, another set of teasers!
The Weaver blesses the Traveler this week, a new Lance allows up to 9 Elemental Essence to stack before unleashing a barrage of attacks at your foes. Work also continues in the Monolith of Fate as we spied what looked like a new Echo, though workers were quick to distract us with some new finds - a web covered Bow and a web carved stone that turned out to be the new Rune of Weaving (you can see the full tooltip in our brand new trailer).
Seems the Mage was feeling a little malicious, and took it out on some local bugs with a new Skill MTX (though our Dev team completely understand that feeling ???? ). When we asked Mike about it, he kept evading the question ????
02-28-25
Sorry, no early leaks here. You’ll have to watch the Stream tonight like the rest of us! Mike can be found roaming through Eterra here on Fridays at 3:00 PM CST.
Community Build Spotlight
Bees have long had their place in the heart of Eterra and the heart of our Community, so it only felt right to find a Bee Build for this month. Originally dubbed ‘Aberroth CoF BEE Druid’ by morphLE in this video here at Eterra Monthly we call this build ‘The A-Bee-rroth Slayer’ as this is *the* Bee Build that brought down Aberroth in under 3 minutes!!
The Pinnacle Boss has been a thorn in the side of our Travelers so morphLE decided to *bee* a ‘Summon Thorn Totem’ in his. Combining that Skill with Spriggan Form to grant access to Thorn Shield and using the Unique helm Bloodkeeper's Nest to bring forth an entire hive’s worth of Bees to be a bother.
This build is also buzzing with some creative synergy between Eterra’s Blessing and Thorn Shield, using the Introspection node of Thorn Shield to only target the player, then the Rosebloom node of Eterra’s Blessing to cast Eterra’s Blessing on the Thorn Shield target - this means the majority of the defensive and healing properties of this build are focused on the player first, before nodes like Ancestral Renewal turn those healing properties towards your helping hive.
While on paper gearing this build can look overwhelming, with the amount of Legendary items, most of those can be swapped out for good Exalted items with the right Affixes, such as ‘+ All Attributes’, ‘increased Minion Damage’ and most importantly as you need Spriggan Form for this build, ‘increased Movement Speed’.
Legacy of the Quiet Forest is one very common Unique you should keep your eyes out for as it will help maintain your Rage levels while providing a lot of Armor, Void and Poison Resistances. You will also want to find Exalted Armour or Helm with the ‘+X% Chance to apply Bleed on Hit with Minion Skills’ Affix and then use the Eternity Cache to Slam those onto a Unique like the Doublet of Onos Tull to double up on the Affix effect.
The true royal jelly of this build however, is the Ornate Heorot Idols due to the ‘**Bees Per 10 Seconds** affix, bzzzz. This helps you bee-line to victory by bolstering your ranks with even more tiny, fearsome allies so it is worth getting your hands on these as soon as you can!
You can check out the full build here on Last Epoch Tools.
Meet the Team
Say hello to Josh S!
Tell us a little about your job and what it includes.
- I’m the Operations Producer at Eleventh Hour Games, where I support the Marketing, Community, Cosmetics, and Data teams. My role involves coordinating meetings, transforming ideas into actionable projects, and ensuring those projects are successfully executed from start to finish. It’s all about keeping things organized, streamlining workflows, and helping teams bring their visions to life.
What inspired you to get into game development, and how did you end up at this studio?
- As a passionate gamer, I wanted to transition from playing games to creating them. Three years ago, I contacted Eleventh Hour Games through their company email, asking if they needed any help. That led to an interview where I met Michael Bortolin, now the COO, and we immediately connected over our shared love of games. Our conversation was incredible, and they brought me on board. From there, I worked my way up from standard operations to my current role as Operations Producer.
How does working at an indie studio differ from working at a larger studio?
- One of the biggest differences is the freedom. At Eleventh Hour Games, we have a passionate team and leadership that truly values input from everyone. Unlike larger studios, where roles can be more rigid, we have open discussions about the game's direction, and ideas are genuinely considered no matter where they come from. It’s a highly collaborative environment where you get to contribute in ways you might not typically experience at a bigger company.
How do you balance working from home with your home life?
- It can definitely be a challenge, especially when you’re passionate about what you do. But having a great partner I’ve been with for 16 years makes a huge difference. Outside of work, I stay balanced by diving into hobbies that keep my attention, whether it’s gaming or riding my motorcycles. Those things help me unplug, recharge, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
How do you balance creativity with practical constraints like time, budget, or technical limitations?
- It’s all about finding smart solutions. While limitations like time, budget, or technical challenges can be restrictive, they also push you to think outside the box. I focus on prioritization, breaking big ideas into achievable steps, and collaborating with the team to find the best path forward. It also helps to stay flexible. Sometimes, the best ideas come from working within boundaries rather than against them.
What’s the biggest lesson you've learned while working in indie game development?
- One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in indie game development is the importance of adaptability and a willingness to wear many hats. In a smaller team, you often need to step outside your primary role and take on new responsibilities, be it design, programming, marketing, or anything else that needs doing. This experience not only broadens your skill set, but also deepens your appreciation for the different facets that come together to create a successful game.
How do you stay motivated and creative, especially during long or difficult projects?
- For me, staying motivated and creative boils down to passion. Game development is exactly what I want to be doing, and that deep love for the craft fuels me even when projects get tough. There’s nothing quite like the rush of nearing a patch release, where everything you’ve worked so hard on finally comes together. Hitting that “go live” button and seeing players experience the new content is incredible. That excitement and sense of accomplishment keeps me pushing forward, no matter how challenging the journey gets.
What kind of feedback from players do you find most helpful or motivating?
- I find constructive criticism to be the most valuable type of player feedback. When someone can break down their experience step by step, what’s working, what isn’t, and why it provides a clear understanding of how they’re interacting with the game, this level of detail helps me see the journey through the player’s eyes and identify where we might need to make adjustments. It’s incredibly motivating because it not only validates where we’re succeeding, but also gives us the insights we need to continuously refine and improve the overall experience.
What’s a feature or design choice you’re particularly proud of in one of the games you’ve worked on?
- I’m especially proud of the day-to-day problem-solving that goes on behind the scenes. There are always those odds-and-ends situations where the path forward isn’t clear, and I love diving in to find clever solutions. It’s incredibly satisfying to turn what initially seems like a dead end into a creative breakthrough, and that sense of discovery is a huge part of why I’m so passionate about game development.
What advice would you give someone who wants to get into this industry?
- My biggest piece of advice is to take the leap and commit to doing the work. It’s not enough to sit around thinking about making games while playing them, you have to jump in, learn new skills, and adapt quickly. Game development can be challenging, but there’s no feeling quite like seeing millions of people play and enjoy something you helped create. That sense of accomplishment and community is what makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
- I just want to say thank you for being you. It truly means the world to us that you take time out of your busy life to play the game we’ve worked so hard on. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. I’m eternally grateful for every moment you spend with our creation, and I hope it brings you as much joy as it does for all of us who worked on it.
Community Spotlight
Discord Voice Channels
You may have seen our post here about bringing back the Discord VC ahead of Season 2. We can now let you know when that will be…. Monday 3rd March 11 am CST! We look forward to seeing, well hearing, you all there.
Community Manager Cozy Streams!
With the return of Voice Channels we thought that would also be the perfect time to bring in another much requested feature - the Discord CM Cozy Streams!
Starting Wednesday 5th March, for 1 hour at 10:30 am CST, you can join your Discord CMs as they play Last Epoch and answer your questions in a dedicated Channel. There you’ll be able to type out questions, comments, encouragements or just emotes as we die… a lot. We never claimed to be as skilled as Mike!
Fate moves quickly and our Fans move quicker
Our first Weaver Fanart!
Our first piece of Woven fan art was shared in Reddit and we had to give it a shout out here! Isn’t it adorable?!
OSHA rules are written in blood, Loot Filter Rules are written in Sarcasm
Am I doing loot filters right?
We had to share Gizmot_Time’s hilarious Loot Filter names with you as we had a great time figuring out what each one actually did ????
Vezidoroga is Carving into our hearts again
We’ve been watching the creation of this for a while now and with every update we get more and more excited! They must have been taking lessons from Mike on how to properly tease content, because we are on tenterhooks waiting for the finished piece!
What's Next
This has been Eterra Monthly; a report on the happenings and changes in the world of Last Epoch. We hope you have enjoyed this month’s report and we'll be back soon with more news, more excitement and the return of our Hype Week Blog Posts! See you soon!
